Rice gets England nod

Declan Rice is free to start his England career after FIFA confirmed his switch from the Republic of Ireland.

The 20-year-old, who was born in London with Irish grandparents, considers himself "to be of mixed nationality" and has played three times for the Republic.

But because they were friendlies it left the door open to change allegiance and last month he announced his intention to formally do that, a move which has now been ratified by FIFA.

"FIFA can now confirm that the change of association of Declan Rice from Republic of Ireland to England has been approved," said a spokesman for the world governing body.

After representing Ireland at youth level, Rice went on to make three senior appearances last year, including games against France and the United States ahead of the World Cup.

However, speculation over his long-term international future mounted after he became a West Ham regular under Manuel Pellegrini this season.

In completing the switch, Rice follows in the footsteps of Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish, who made the same move to England in 2016

This article originated on sportinastorm.com

Michael Holland is a reporter with over two decades of journalism experience. A Bolton fan, Michael often writes football articles, as well as having a strong knowledge of golf, cricket and Australian sports.